This invention relates generally to slide miter saws.
Slide miter saws are well known in the art as they provide extended cutting range over non-sliding miter saws. Like non-sliding miter saws, the slide miter saws have a base, a rotatable table attached to the base, a saw assembly including a motor and a blade driven by the motor, where the saw assembly is pivoted downwardly for cutting a workpiece disposed on the base and table, and a sliding fence assembly connected to the base for supporting a workpiece. However, slide miter saws enable the user to move the saw assembly horizontally along the table.
Most slide miter saws accomplish this by connecting the saw assembly to at least one rail, which is slidably attached to a support housing connected to the table (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,885). With such arrangement, the user would pull the saw assembly forwardly, move the saw assembly downwardly, then push the saw assembly rearwardly for cutting the workpiece.
While typical slide miter saws have handles on the saw assembly for carrying, they still are unwieldy because of their weight distribution. Thus, it is desirable to provide an improved means for carrying a slide miter saw.
In accordance with the present invention, an improved miter saw is employed. The miter saw includes a base, a table rotatably attached to the base, a support housing connected to the table, at least one rail slidably connected to the support housing, a saw assembly pivotally attached to the at least one rail and movable between a front position and a rear position, the saw assembly comprising a trunnion disposed on the at least one rail, a pivot arm pivotally attached to the trunnion, an upper blade guard connected to the pivot arm, a motor attached to the upper blade guard, and a blade driven by the motor, and a carrying handle provided on the at least one rail.
Additional features and benefits of the present invention are described, and will be apparent from, the accompanying drawings and the detailed description below.